editor's review

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Mac OS X integrates tools for adjusting the screen’s brightness level but, in some cases, the limit imposed by Apple seems to high. Brightness is a minimalist status bar menu that offers you the possibility to easily surpass this limit.

Brightness works like any other brightness adjustment menulet: at launch, the app places an icon in your status bar and displays the adjustment slide bar each time you press that icon. However, Brightness also makes the overall color warmer by compensating the display’s blue tint: this way, your circadian rhythm will not be disrupted.

Moreover, via the slide bar panel, you can also access the Brightness Settings window where you can choose to have the application automatically launched at login. In addition, you get to choose if you want the application to use a warmer tint when dimming or not.

What’s more, you can choose to see the Preferences window each time you launch the application to be sure it is working. This is a useful reminder because Brightness cannot remember your settings between session: you will have to adjust the brightness level each time you relaunch the app.

Unfortunately, Brightness does not seem to be able to remember your settings if your screensaver is activated: when you access the screen again, even though the slide bar indicator is kept in place, the effect is not visible. However, this is fixed if you move the slider again.

To conclude, Brightness can help you bring the brightness level of your screen below the Apple limits and is able to apply a warmer tint, but is has issues preserving the settings between sessions or if your screensaver is enabled.